I feel Cassius tense against my side. “It was the same when Evelina was taken.”
Salvatore stares across the room as if trying to make sense of this. “It makes me wonder if the killer is involved in organized crime somehow, or if he’s in some position of power.”
Vinicius darts an apologetic glance at me. “I’ve wondered once or twice if the killer is the mayor.”
Salvatore shakes his head. “The man I saw wasn’t Romano. The mayor is stocky. This man was lean.”
I can understand why Vinicius would wonder about that. Dad is obsessed with power, and he’s a killer, but he’s also the most pragmatic man I know. He wouldn’t waste time dropping flowers on sidewalks and setting up recording equipment.
“It doesn’t seem like something Dad would do. When he killed Mom he was quick, like a butcher. This psycho thinks he’s some kind of artist.” There’s an unpleasant silence as we all remember the sadistic and grandiose ways their sisters were murdered.
Vinicius sighs. “You’re probably right. I can’t believe we were all so close to him and then he escaped. But we’ll keep looking. There are a few things I plan on asking Thane.”
Salvatore’s expression turns murderous, and I can tell he’s remembering the red ropes.
“What can Thane help you with?” I ask, trying to muffle a yawn, but failing. Outside the window, the sky is just beginning to lighten.
Vinicius smiles at me fighting to stay awake. “That’s for later. You can barely keep your eyes open, kitten, and neither can I. Let’s all get some sleep.”
“Is everyone staying here at the compound?” I ask.
They all exchange glances and Vinicius nods. “We’ll sleep here and talk more when we wake up.”
I reach up and cup Cassius’ cheek. I haven’t had my fill of his body against mine, yet. “Will you come and sleep in my room?”
He kisses my forehead. “Of course, bambina.”
We head upstairs and I strip off my clothes and get into bed naked. So does Cassius, and he wraps his big, warm body around me. I run my finger down the black bristles on his cheek. He’s so handsome, and I imagine what he’ll look like in five, maybe ten years’ time when there will be silver bristles among the black. He’ll be even more handsome, and sexy as hell.
“I haven’t dared to think about the future too much,” I whisper. “Do you think that one day this will all be over and we’ll be free to be completely happy?”
“After what you told me tonight, that you love me? I know we will. All of us.”
I’m bathed in the warmth from his chest. His love for me burns even hotter, and I feel it surrounding us. “Suddenly finding that you were all gone was awful. I never want to feel that way again.”
Cassius has his eyes closed and he holds me tighter. “Nothing like that will ever happen again.”
I wrap my arm around him and snuggle closer. As exhaustion sweeps over me and I melt into his arms, I whisper, “Good. I don’t think I can handle any more surprises.”
6
Vinicius
I open Chiara’s door just after midday and she’s fast asleep in Cassius’ arms. Cassius opens his eyes, but he stays still apart from raising one questioning black brow at me.
Nicole, I mouth, and indicate the room next door with my head, and he nods, closing his eyes again.
Someone needs to have a private word with Chiara’s former best friend, and I’m the best man to do it. The others are too short-tempered and intimidating to get one word out of the girl.
Lorenzo’s given me the key and I unlock the door and go inside. Nicole is beneath the blankets, sleeping the deep sleep of the recently drugged. I watch her for a while, hands in my pockets, wondering what the best way is to handle this. Whatever I tell her and no matter what I do, she’s going to assume I’m dangerous.
I sit down on the mattress, hard enough to jostle her body. Nicole’s eyelashes flutter, and she mumbles before blinking and opening her eyes. Bleary, bewildered eyes. I swear that for a moment, she thinks I’m a hallucination.
I smile at her. “Hello.”
She sucks in a frightened breath and sits up, crawling back up the bed. “Where am I? Who are you? What do you want?”
“This is Lorenzo Scava’s compound, one of the most secure buildings in Coldlake. You’re safe here. I’m Vinicius Angeli, and I want to talk to you.”
Nicole stares at me and then at the closed door. “I don’t feel safe. I’m locked in here with you.”
I smile at her. “True. But I promise I mean you no harm.”
Nicole turns pale and looks like she wants to throw up. I can’t tell if it’s the drugs or if she’s terrified of me.
“Who asked you to pretend to be dead?”
She presses her face into her knees and moans. “I want to go home. I want my mom.”
Tough. I don’t doubt that she’s been through an ordeal, but she’s not leaving until I find out what the hell is going on. “Was it your father? Did he set a trap for us?” Her body shakes in fear and I sense I’m on the right track. I make my tone gentle. “Did you believe you were helping to save Chiara? I’m not going to hurt you or be angry with you about something you thought was the right thing for your friend.”
Nicole refuses to lift her head, and I know she doesn’t believe me.
I watch her thoughtfully with narrowed eyes. We could go around in circles like this for hours. “Let me start by telling you what we know, and then you can fill in the rest. How does that sound?”
“Where’s Chiara?”
“She’s asleep in the next room. She went through hell last night. You see, Nicole, people are always screwing with us. Chiara’s father. My associates. It’s so difficult to know who to trust and believe.” For a moment I let my tone harden, and then smile again. “But between the two of us, I’m sure we can straighten out the truth from the lies. You and Chiara have been friends since you were children. Is that right?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “She was my best friend.”
“All right, then. So here’s what I know about you and your father, and you can tell me if I get anything wrong. When Chiara became engaged to Salvatore last year, your father told you that you couldn’t be her friend anymore. He didn’t want to be friends with the mayor either, did he? But in the past few months, I’m guessing that Mr. De Luca and Mayor Romano made up. Perhaps around the time of the mayor’s press conference when he claimed that we’d all kidnapped Chiara and there was a price on our heads?”
Nicole stifles a sob, and she nods again.
I thought as much. De Luca hasn’t got any reason to entrap us, but his dear old friend the mayor has plenty.
“How scared you must have been for Chiara. I’m guessing that the mayor came to your house and spoke with your father, and then they spoke to you. They asked if you would help them draw the Coldlake Syndicate into the open so they could save Chiara and bring her home. Am I right?”
Nicole lifts her head slowly, her eyes huge and shining. “How do you know that?”
I smile at her. “Just a lucky guess. I’m a lucky man, Nicole.”